A Tennessee Classical Education
Skillern Elementary is a FREE public charter school of choice that employs the Tennessee Classical Model—a classical education in a hybrid indoor/outdoor setting. In our outdoor classrooms, students have direct contact with nature, which serves as a teacher, a tool for learning, and a source of delight. In this rich environment, along with our traditional indoor classrooms, students encounter the beautiful content of a classical education, a time-tested educational model with proven results.
What is the Classical model?
At Skillern Elementary, we follow the classical model of education because it is a model that educates the whole human person to live a life of true flourishing and excellence. We cultivate virtue in the minds and hearts of our students by always pointing them towards the good, the true, and the beautiful so that they will do what is right, recognize what is true, and love what is lovely. Thus, we employ classical methods of teaching and the time-tested liberal arts and sciences—“liberal” because they liberate the mind and soul from the bonds of ignorance and vice. Through the classical model, we also invite our students into community as we share with them the precious inheritance of Western civilization. The riches of history, literature, art, and science will inspire wonder and delight in each student while also knitting them together. In this community with a common heritage and a culture of virtue, they will be empowered to build true friendship, the friendship of those who share together in a noble enterprise, and they will leave their education as lifelong learners who serve others and lead lives of excellence.
“We are not reading books merely to check off a list or to be able to say we have read them. We are reading to grow as persons, to know more that we may understand more, and ultimately, it is to be hoped, to act according to our greater wisdom.”
What makes Tennessee Classical unique?
The Tennessee Classical Model embraces the rich curriculum and time-tested methods of a classical education while recognizing the extreme value of nature as a master teacher. Students learn in our fully equipped indoor classrooms when this more traditional setting serves student learning best. They also engage their minds and bodies in nature’s classroom, where they delight in nature’s wonders and complexity. A child who learns to patiently watch an ant or a spider on their way or observe the changes in a growing plant is not only learning about the natural world, but is also developing the habits of body, mind and heart that will serve them for the rest of their lives. In this setting, students explore the terrain around our campus, promoting both engagement and overall health.
“There is no sort of knowledge to be got in these early years so valuable to children as that which they get for themselves of the world they live in. Let them once get touch with Nature, and a habit is formed which will be a source of delight through life. ”
An Education in Virtue
At Skillern Elementary, we believe that a life of virtue is the greatest outcome and reward of a proper education. In everything we do, we aim towards virtue, agreeing with George Washington that there is an “indissoluble union between virtue and happiness, between duty and advantage.” The pursuit of virtue is not simply window dressing at Skillern, but is woven into every part of the students’ educational experience. Our core virtues serve as a guide as we help our students grow into men and women of character.
Fortitude Self-government Integrity Friendship Stewardship Citizenship Humility Wonder Gratitude
“Education is teaching our children to desire the right things.”
Want to Read More?
To learn more about the the classical model, we recommend the following reading:
What is Classical Education?, Dr. Stephen Shipp, Headmaster at Seven Oaks Classical School
A Classical Education for Modern Times, Terrence Moore, Principal at Kootenai Classical Academy
Classical Education: The Oldest Ideas for the Youngest Minds, Jason Caros, Headmaster at Founders Classical Academy of Lewisville
The Missing Link in Reading Comprehension and Academic Achievement, Jason Caros, Headmaster at Founders Classical Academy